The First Baptist Church of Amarillo is an architectural treasure that resembles the great cathedrals of Europe. How did such a beautiful church come to exist in the Panhandle of Texas at the beginning of the Great Depression? And why did a congregation of Baptists, a denomination not known for emphasizing the role of architectural beauty in worship, undertake such a magnificent project?
"What Mean Ye by These Stones?" seeks to answer these questions by exploring the early history of the church alongside the historical, economic, and social context of West Texas. Additionally, the book identifies a variety of influences on the church's architecture and examines recent building projects undertaken by the current congregation to preserve the church's beauty for future generations. Throughout, Elizabeth Feray argues that FBCA stands as a rare and powerful union of Baptist sensibilities and a traditional Christian emphasis on beauty.